From Academy Award®-winning director Michael Cimino* comes this taut psychological thriller about a family held hostage in their own home. Starring Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Oscar® winner Anthony Hopkins** (The Silence of the Lambs), Mimi Rogers (Someone Who Watch Over Me) and Kelly Lynch (Road House), this nail-biting action film grabs you by the throat and leaves you gasping in terror. Prepare yourself. The Desperate Hours have begun.
In dire need of a hideout, escaped convict Michael Bosworth (Rourke) uses his charming smile to gain entry into the posh home of Nora and Tim Cornell (Rogers and Hopkins) and their two children. While waiting for his beautiful lawyer-turned-accomplice (Lynch) to arrive, Bosworth’s smile soon explodes into homicidal rage when the Cornells desperately try to fight back. Holding the family at gunpoint and ruthlessly pitting husband against wife, Bosworth’s fury escalates into a shocking night of terror and cold-blooded murder. Finally, the family is forced to take a stand that will either destroy them…or unite them as never before.
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Video Quality
Desperate Hours returns to Blu-Ray via the MVD Rewind Collection with a 1080p transfer after previously being available from Shout! Factory in a two-pack with The Pope Of Greenwich Village. While I do not have access to that release, more than likely this master is derived from the same source. We would never turn down a new scan, but what we have here looks really nice with natural film grain that has not been manipulated or scrubbed out. The transfer is mostly clear with fine detail, but you do have instances that run on the soft side or experience some fluctuations in density.
This film strikes a nice balance between the bright daytime scenes and the moments drenched in shadow with the house and into the night. Colors that have a spotlight in the brighter moments leap off of the screen. The black levels are decent with only a slightly milky appearance and some decent depth. There are also some moments of crush and banding, but not so much as to ruin the transfer. You do get some nice detail in the production design and texture of clothing. Significant damage is not experienced anywhere throughout, but specks pop up here and there. This is a capable presentation for a film that has been MIA on disc for a minute.
Audio Quality
MVD Entertainment brings us this new Blu-Ray with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and a LPCM 2.0 track that both serve this movie really well. Environmental effects are precisely delineated from the opening chatter in the courtroom forward with car tires screeching and guns firing. Even during the most chaotic moment, this track maintains its fidelity without any noticeable instances of age related wear and tear. The David Mansfield score adds a bit of personality to the feature as it permeates the room. The dialogue comes through without issue including being trampled on by the score or environmental effects. This track gets the job done without complaint. Optional English (SDH), French and Spanish subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Behind The Scenes Featurette: A nearly six-minute vintage piece which hits the main talking points of the production including its adaption from a stage play, the performances and more.
- Photo Gallery: A collection of stills from the film, marketing materials, and more are provided here.
- Trailers: This disc provides the two-minute trailer for Desperate Hours. The disc also features trailers for other MVD releases including The Fabulous Baker Boys and Miami Blues.
- Poster: A fold-out poster of the cover art is included in the case.
Final Thoughts
Desperate Hours does not stand out in a crowd of potboiler thrillers, but it offers some serviceable entertainment at the end of the day. The main attraction to this project is the performances, which are admittedly all very good even in the face of some underdeveloped roles. Contrivances hinder this one somewhat, but not to the point that the film is not enjoyable. With the talent involved, it should be better, but it is only average at the end of the day. MVD Entertainment has offered up a new Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation and a couple of special features. If you are a fan of the talent involved, it is worth giving a shot.
Desperate Hours is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: MVD Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.